Nearly 400 compete in Daffodil Festival runs

A total of 399 participants completed Sunday’s Daffodil Festival 5K and 2-mile Fun Run, according to a release from the Gloucester Rotary Club, which sponsored the events. This was the first year the run was held at Beaverdam Park.

Eldridge Northstein, 51, of Gloucester, a machinist at Newport News Shipbuilding, led the 101 runners across the finish line in the 5K event. H.F. Clements, 47, a Gloucester native and resident of Hatteras, N.C., where he is chef of a local restaurant, finished third behind Scott Baker, 35.

It was a close finish with Northstein’s elapsed time of 23:25, followed by Baker with 23:39 and Clements, 24:47. Northstein is the son of John and Laura Northstein, this year’s Daffodil Festival parade grand marshals in honor of their many years of community service.